Dock Ellis gained his 18th victory and Dave Giusti, who retired the last batter, was credited with his 26th save as the Pirates defeated the Astros, 7-3. Two of the Astros' runs, including a tally in the ninth inning, were unearned on errors by Rennie Stennett. However, the Pirates' second baseman had two hits and drove in two runs.

The Pirates, after trailing, 1-0, went ahead to stay with four runs in the fourth inning. Bob Robertson walked and scored on singles by Manny Sanguillen and Dave Cash. Sanguillen advanced to third on Cash's hit and Cash took second on the throw. The Astros walked Jackie Hernandez intentionally to get at Ellis, but the Pirates' pitcher beat out a run-scoring infield hit. Stennett followed with a two-run single. [The Sporting News]



Pittsburgh Pirates 7, Houston Astros 3
Game Played on Friday, August    27, 1971 (Night game) at Astrodome
Pirates      0  0  0    4  0  0    2  1  0  -   7 11  2
Astros       0  1  0    0  0  0    1  0  1  -   3  9  1


Pirates              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Astros               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Stennett 2b           5   0   2   2     0   0   .323      Alou rf               4   1   0   0     1   0   .296
Oliver cf             5   1   1   0     0   0   .274      Morgan 2b             3   0   0   0     2   1   .264
Clemente rf           5   1   3   1     0   1   .339      Cedeno cf             5   1   2   0     0   1   .258
Stargell lf           4   1   1   1     1   0   .304      Watson 1b             5   0   3   1     0   0   .294
Robertson 1b          3   1   0   0     2   3   .271      Chiles lf             4   1   1   0     0   0   .256
Sanguillen c          5   1   1   0     0   1   .324        Harris p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Cash 3b               3   1   1   2     1   0   .304        Martinez ph         1   0   0   0     0   1   .206
J. Hernandez ss       3   1   0   0     1   1   .219      Rader 3b              3   0   0   0     1   1   .246
Ellis p               3   0   2   1     1   0   .211      Edwards c             3   0   2   0     1   0   .227
  Giusti p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .067      Metzger ss            3   0   1   1     1   0   .234
                                                          Billingham p          1   0   0   0     0   0   .143
                                                            Ray p               0   0   0   0     0   0   .125
                                                            Menke ph            1   0   0   0     0   0   .260
                                                            Culver p            0   0   0   0     0   0   .125
                                                            Geronimo lf         1   0   0   0     0   0   .222

Totals               36   7  11   7     6   6             Totals               34   3   9   2     6   4

Time of Game: 2:41   Attendance: 14,933
Left on Base: Pirates 9, Astros 11
DP: Pirates 1, Astros 2
Errors: Stennett 2, Morgan
Doubles: Clemente (24), Oliver (23)
Stolen Bases: Morgan (27)
Sacrifice Hits: Billingham (5)
Sacrifice Flies: Cash (3)
GIDP: Sanguillen (16), Stargell (7)


Pirates                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Ellis W(18-7)           8.2   9   3   1   6   3   0  40   2.84
Giusti SV(26)           0.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   3.15
Totals                  9     9   3   1   6   4   0  41

Astros                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Billingham L(6-13)      5.1   7   4   4   5   4   0  27   3.65
Ray                     0.2   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   2.20
Culver                  1.1   4   3   3   1   0   0  10   2.77
Harris                  1.2   0   0   0   0   2   0   4   5.33
Totals                  9    11   7   7   6   6   0  43

Umpires: HP - Satch Davidson, 1B - Stan Landes, 2B - Shag Crawford, 3B - Mel Steiner


PIRATES 1ST: Stennett grounded out (shortstop to first); Oliver
grounded out (first unassisted); Clemente was called out on
strikes; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 1ST: Alou flied out to center; Morgan walked; Morgan
stole second; Cedeno was called out on strikes; Watson grounded
out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 0,
Astros 0.

PIRATES 2ND: Stargell grounded out (first to pitcher); Robertson
struck out; Sanguillen lined to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Pirates 0, Astros 0.

ASTROS 2ND: Chiles singled; Rader flied out to center; Edwards
singled [Chiles to second]; Metzger singled [Chiles scored,
Edwards to second]; Billingham out on a sacrifice bunt (third to
second) [Edwards to third, Metzger to second]; Alou grounded out
(third to first); 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 1.

PIRATES 3RD: Cash grounded out (third to first); J. Hernandez
struck out; Ellis walked; Stennett singled [Ellis to second];
Oliver grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
Pirates 0, Astros 1.

ASTROS 3RD: Morgan flied out to center; Cedeno flied out to
right; Watson grounded out (pitcher to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Pirates 0, Astros 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Clemente grounded out (third to first); Stargell
grounded out (second to first); Robertson walked; Sanguillen
singled [Robertson to second]; Cash singled [Robertson scored,
Sanguillen to third, Cash to second (on throw)]; J. Hernandez
was walked intentionally; Ellis singled [Sanguillen scored, Cash
to third, J. Hernandez to second]; Stennett singled [Cash
scored, J. Hernandez scored, Ellis to second]; Oliver grounded
out (second to first); 4 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 4, Astros
1.

ASTROS 4TH: Chiles grounded out (first unassisted); Rader was
called out on strikes; Edwards singled; Metzger walked [Edwards
to second]; Billingham forced Metzger (shortstop to second); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 4, Astros 1.

PIRATES 5TH: Clemente singled; Stargell walked [Clemente to
second]; Robertson struck out; Sanguillen grounded into a double
play (shortstop to first) [Stargell out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 4, Astros 1.

ASTROS 5TH: Alou grounded out (shortstop to first); Morgan
grounded out (second to first); Cedeno singled; Watson singled
[Cedeno to third]; Chiles forced Watson (shortstop to second); 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 4, Astros 1.

PIRATES 6TH: Cash walked; J. Hernandez flied out to center [Cash
to second]; Ellis singled [Cash to third]; RAY REPLACED
BILLINGHAM (PITCHING); Stennett flied out to center; Oliver
grounded out (first unassisted); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates
4, Astros 1.

ASTROS 6TH: Rader walked; Edwards forced Rader (second to
shortstop); Metzger grounded out (second to first) [Edwards to
second]; MENKE BATTED FOR RAY; Menke popped to third in foul
territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 4, Astros 1.

PIRATES 7TH: CULVER REPLACED MENKE (PITCHING); Clemente doubled;
Stargell singled [Clemente scored]; Robertson walked [Stargell
to second]; Sanguillen forced Robertson (second to shortstop)
[Stargell to third]; Cash hit a sacrifice fly to right [Stargell
scored]; J. Hernandez reached on an error by Morgan [Sanguillen
to second, J. Hernandez to first]; Ellis grounded out (catcher
to first); 2 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 6, Astros 1.

ASTROS 7TH: Alou grounded out (catcher to first); Morgan walked;
Cedeno forced Morgan (shortstop to second) [Cedeno to second
(error by Stennett)]; Watson singled [Cedeno scored (unearned)];
Chiles flied out to center; 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.
Pirates 6, Astros 2.

PIRATES 8TH: Stennett flied out to center; Oliver doubled;
Clemente singled [Oliver scored]; GERONIMO REPLACED CULVER
(PLAYING LF); HARRIS REPLACED CHILES (PITCHING); Stargell
grounded into a double play (second to shortstop to first)
[Clemente out at second]; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 7,
Astros 2.

ASTROS 8TH: Rader flied out to right; Edwards walked; Metzger
lined into a double play (second to first) [Edwards out at
first]; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 7, Astros 2.

PIRATES 9TH: Robertson was called out on strikes; Sanguillen
struck out; Cash made an out to shortstop; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
 Pirates 7, Astros 2.

ASTROS 9TH: Geronimo grounded out (first unassisted); Alou
walked; Morgan was called out on strikes; Cedeno singled [Alou
to second]; Watson singled [Alou scored (error by Stennett)
(unearned) (no RBI), Cedeno to third, Watson to second];
MARTINEZ BATTED FOR HARRIS; GIUSTI REPLACED ELLIS (PITCHING);
Martinez struck out; 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 7,
Astros 3.